What Sentence Could The "Slenderman Girls" Receive? They're Being Tried As Adults

Sometimes, there's news that can't quite be classified as "good" or "bad." It's just news. Today, we have that kind of news. In the case from Waukesha, Wisconsin, where two 12-year-old girls are accused of stabbing their classmate in order to appease the fictional horror character Slenderman, the two girls — charmingly nicknamed the "Slenderman girls" — will face adult charges of attempted homicide.

The girls, whom The Associated Press are not naming in case their attorneys succeed in moving their case to juvenile court, face charges of attempted first-degree murder. They were both 12 at the time of the attack, but one of them has since turned 13. Lawyers representing the defense argued that the girls should be charged with second-degree attempted murder, which would have to be tried in juvenile court, but Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren ruled that they would be tried as adults.

If convicted, the girls could face up to 65 years in prison. Wisconsin law requires prosecutors to press adult charges against children over age 10 who commit serious crimes, though it is possible that the defense will make an appeal. Defense attorneys for the girls insist that they legitimately thought Slenderman would hurt their families if they didn't kill their classmate. If the girls are convicted in juvenile court, they could only be held until age 25.